Alumni Impact Awards 2024: PC Matt Cooper's 'Transformative Innovation'
Monday 7th October 2024
Police Constable Matthew Cooper has won a national Police Now award for his transformative and innovative approach to reducing street drinking in West Bromwich. Instances of street drinking reduced by over 60% in a six-month period and several former offenders are now actively giving back to the community through volunteer work, thanks to his intervention.
The annual ‘Alumni Impact Awards’ celebrate the achievements of officers who have graduated from one of Police Now’s national programmes and have gone above and beyond to reduce or solve crime, problem-solve in their communities, or innovate and lead within policing. Matt joined West Midlands Police in 2022 via Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme.
Eight officers from forces across the country were presented with awards and addressed by Chief Constable Craig Guildford QPM of West Midlands Police at a ceremony in London on Friday (4th October).
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “The impact these inspiring officers have had on our streets shows that through their training and efforts, we can reduce crime and restore confidence in policing. I congratulate all of the winners and nominees for their service and dedication, and I know they will play an important role in our mission to keep our streets safe.”
WINNER: Transformative Innovation, PC Matt Cooper
When Matt joined the West Bromwich Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, street-drinking and associated anti-social behaviour was a significant issue affecting residents – including rowdiness, physical disorder, littering, swearing, and intimidation.
With traditional policing responses not yielding effective results, Matt took a more creative approach. He worked with a local rehabilitation service to divert perpetrators away from street-drinking and worked with local businesses to identify and address factors contributing to offending. A key piece of his work was establishing warm and safe social spaces for street drinkers to congregate in more controlled environments. This included working with a local pub, Transport for West Midlands and a local bus station’s ‘Let’s Chat Community Hub’ – allowing for regular support, check-ins and engagement.
The project significantly reduced the amount of time that individuals were seen to be street drinking, from an average of seven hours a day to two-three hours a day between September 2023 – February 2024, amounting to over a 60% reduction.
A number of former offenders who Matt engaged with are now giving back to the community; one has become a volunteer at the local ‘Let’s Chat’ hub, another donated money to support the hub, and a group organised a carol singing event outside a local pub last year.
Police Constable Matthew Cooper said: “Everyone in the town centre deserves to feel safe and to come to work knowing they aren’t going to be intimidated or harassed.
“It became apparent that issuing fines didn’t offer the relevant opportunities for street-drinkers to change their behaviour, and often created barriers between the police and perpetrators. A multi-agency approach was needed; individuals had to feel supported, be willing to engage and be held more accountable for their actions.
“I therefore focused on tackling the problem at its roots – building on my Police Now training, which advocates for long-term solutions and problem solving, and my university dissertation on behaviours associated with drug and alcohol use.
“This involved thorough research, work with a wide number of partners, and extensive community engagement. Although this is an ongoing piece of work and there is more to be done, particularly to address seasonal peaks, I am pleased to have seen the positive effects of this approach across the area so far.”
Matt was also nominated for a national Tilley Award for his work, which recognises excellence in police problem-solving.
To read about all the winners and runner ups in this year’s Alumni Impact Awards, please click here.
Register your interest to learn more about our national graduate programmes here.
Notes to editors:
- Matt has now moved teams to the Sandwell Criminal Investigation Department.
